The present invention generally relates to maintaining equipment within an area, and more particularly, to the use of an integrated system of unmanned aerial vehicles for maintaining infrastructure.
Maintenance of infrastructure that includes fixtures or other equipment can be difficult depending on the location of the equipment. For example, accessing fixtures that are elevated typically requires a ladder and/or additional personal safety equipment and thus involves an increased level of difficulty and danger. A service person's limited maneuverability when on a ladder increases the risk of falling or serious injury during a maintenance operation. However, fixtures and other equipment in areas that are difficult to access are prevalent not only in residential houses, but also in public buildings and public spaces.
In other instances, the equipment can need to be powered down before a human can safely perform maintenance thereon. For example, an antenna that emits microwave radiation must cease all transmission to protect a maintenance person from harmful radiation when a lamp on the antenna tower is replaced. Such requirements can increase the downtime and/or further limit the functionality of the equipment.
There is also the issue of scale. As more Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as cameras, chemical sensors (e.g., air quality sensors), etc. are deployed, there is a need to automate the maintenance of such IoT devices. These IoT devices can require cleaning, sensor calibration and replacement of batteries on a regular basis in addition to repairs when the devices are malfunctioning. It is predicted that the number of these IoT devices in modern cities will soon reach millions.
There is therefore a need to reduce the risk associated with performing standard maintenance operations on fixtures and other equipment that are located in areas that are difficult to reach, as well as a need to reduce and in some instances eliminate the dependence on human labor for the maintenance of such devices.